


Catch

by TooBusyWriting



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Compound, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hospitalization, Minor Injuries, Training, Winged Reader, Wings, but that's up to you so, falling, maybe don't read if you're afraid of falling, very briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-23 00:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17070215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooBusyWriting/pseuds/TooBusyWriting
Summary: Training exercises with the Avengers had gotten relatively normal by now. By no means easier, but you had somewhat of an idea what to expect whenever one was scheduled. The team regularly trained in large-scale exercises at least once every week- that is, if no full team missions were called that week. Individual, pairs, and even small group training happened as well. Not to mention, sometimes you’d be paired up with someone who’d been around longer to help train the recruits who lived at the compound.Today, another training exercise was scheduled. How it was going to end, you'd have never seen coming...





	Catch

**Author's Note:**

> Anon requested on Tumblr: “Are you requests still open. If so could you do a Tony x Reader where Reader is an new avenger who can fly but in a training exercise her wing gets broken and Tony has to save her. And she has a major crush on him. Fluffy goodness please”
> 
> I’m so so so sorry for making you wait so long to see this come to life nonnie! I’ve finally got it done. I’m not sure how much it fits what you gave me, but this is what it is. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for helping me expand my horizons! I haven’t written for Tony before other than some Iron Dad stuff. Sorry for the cruddy ending- I wasn’t sure how to close it smoothly. Unbeta'd but I ran it through like 3 different grammar checkers so it should be mostly fine. Thanks for reading!

Training exercises with the Avengers had gotten relatively normal by now. By no means easier, but you had somewhat of an idea what to expect whenever one was scheduled. The team regularly trained in large-scale exercises at least once every week- that is, if no full team missions were called that week. Individual, pairs, and even small group training happened as well. Not to mention, sometimes you’d be paired up with someone who’d been around longer to help train the recruits who lived at the compound. 

 

Today, another training exercise was scheduled. You’d have been fine with it, but Tony had released some information about it during lunch that made you nervous. The mock-mission centered around those who could fly, namely: you, Tony, Wanda, Vision, Rhodey, and Sam. Those who stayed on land would take down simulation dummies while the rest of you attempted various strategies to get a small drive from a watchtower. 

 

All eyes would be on you. You joined the team relatively later than the rest. They all had backgrounds in things like this; you didn’t. When SHIELD and HYDRA had been around, you had spent most of your time avoiding both groups. You had been afraid of what they would do to you. Yeah, SHIELD was the good guys, but you had wings and you didn’t want to risk becoming an experiment for their scientists. 

 

After SHIELD fell, you survived on your own, now in hiding from HYDRA. Everything had been perfectly fine and dandy. Then, on accident, the Avengers stumbled upon you during a mission. Right away, Tony offered you an invitation to stay at the Compound until you got settled. That turned into living at the Compound, which in turn changed to joining the Avengers at Fury’s suggestion after he saw you training. 

 

“Alright, team,” Tony announced, gaining the attention of the members scattered around the room. You had spent so much time with him since coming to live in the Compound you couldn’t help the feelings that developed. 

 

It started out as you trying to make it up to him somehow. He denied it time after time, saying he had more than he needed and he was glad he could help you. Time passed, you got to know the team better, and you found yourself spending your spare time with Tony. The crush grew; but, afraid to ruin a strong friendship- which you rarely had before- you didn’t act on it. The man closed off sometimes and made it hard to tell if your feelings were unrequited or not, anyway.

 

“We’re about to go out and have the best run through ever, right?” Tony continued. He received a variety of reactions. Some groaned, someone shrugged, and some stood there without a visible or audible reaction. 

 

“Great!” He clapped his hands together, then motioned for everyone to sit. “Cap, if you may.”

 

Steve stood up and gave more details of the exercise. The grounds troops were to be apprehending the guards and troops that swarmed the grounds. The flight crews were to fly above it; some people taking out guards from above while the rest went after the vial. Inside the vial was “HYDRA’s recreation of a drug no longer found,” going with the “HYDRA made it” route like usual. 

 

Cap assigned Sam, Vision, and Wanda to sky patrol. That left you, Rhodey, and Tony to grab the vile. He paired you with a military man and arguably the strongest flier on the team. Why? You weren’t up to par with them; you feared you never would be. 

 

It was too late to change anything. Tony must’ve stopped your nervous look. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, (Y/N). You’ll do great. And if you don’t, just remember, I’ll be there to catch you.”

 

Now, what was that supposed to mean?

 

Before you could give a coherent response, Tony took off, Rhodey on his tail. You had no choice but to unfurl your wings and follow. 

 

The field for training exercises was by no means large. It included some of the property surrounding the Compound but was far enough out of the way that if something went wrong you’d still have a place to live. A watchtower stood in a far corner. Trainees often used it to practice, but an actual guard stayed up there at all times. Better safe than sorry.

 

On an average day, it would’ve been no problem flying there. But not now. The guard armed the base, projectiles flying through the air. After all, if HYDRA had been the enemy, they would do the same thin g. 

 

Everything started out smoothly. “Flank left,” Tony ordered. Your trio flew in a single file line, dodging projectiles. “Rhodey, flank right. I’ll go straight. (Y/N) stays left.” 

 

“On it,” Rhodey responded and obeyed. The diversion below and from Vision, Wanda, and Sam helped more than you’d have thought. You didn’t have to watch the ground closely, instead focusing on what was in front of you.

 

That may not have been the best idea. 

 

Out of nowhere, a scrap piece of metal soared through the air. Right. At. Your. Wing.

 

You weren’t facing the side- your head forward. You didn’t see it coming. Tony didn’t see it- he flew ahead. Rhodey didn’t see it- he flew higher than you. That didn’t stop it from hitting.

 

Pain ripped through your wing and shoulder. Momentarily blind from it, you stopped flying. And fell.

 

Wind whipped past you but you didn’t tell. All you could feel was pain.

 

You heard someone scream. Was it you or one of your teammates? It was hard to tell.

 

Down.

 

Down.

 

Down.

 

You braced yourself. You’d hit the ground soon; you knew it would make the injury worse. 

 

The ground never came.

 

Two arms wrapped themselves firmly around you. Someone caught you. Your eyes were screwed shut but the feeling of metal against your skin told you. Tony. 

 

You could hear him giving orders to FRIDAY and the team. Bearing the pain, you opened your eyes a peek. His helmet was still on but he noticed you stirring. “Told you I’d catch you,” he said. You heard the grin in his voice and something... else. Before you deciphered it, everything went black. 

 

* * *

 

The first thing you noticed was your wing throbbing. Then, you realized you laid on your stomach, head to the side, arms folded underneath it. A sharp smell caught your attention: antiseptics. It wasn’t hard to conclude where you were. The hospital wing in the Compound.

 

It might’ve made sense for you to open your eyes, groan, or do something to alert whoever was watching that you were awake. You didn’t do any of them, though. Your eyes stayed shut, your arms still in the same place. The most you did was stretch your right wing, the left one being the injured one. 

 

You thought that was normal sleeping behavior for you. In fact, people told you that you stretched your wings in your sleep on occasion. But apparently, it’s not normal when one of them is hurt. You heard rustling as if someone noticed and called someone else over. 

 

“Bruce, I think she’s up,” Tony whispered. Footsteps sounded across the room. 

 

With no choice left, you cracked your eyes open. Tony sat at your bedside, phone set to the side, his attention on you. He smiled when your eyes met. “Hey there. We’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” 

 

At his words, you turned your head as far as you could. Bruce gave a small wave. “I just need to go over some things to make sure your recovery will be quick.”

 

You nodded, and Bruce ran his tests. Not too long later, he left, leaving you and Tony alone.

 

“That was quite the fall,” Tony said. “I’m glad you're alright- well, mostly.”

 

You grimaced. “I’m sorry about that,” you said, avoiding his eyes. “I’ll do better next time. If there is one…”

 

Tony looked aghast. “Of course there will be. Where’d you get that notion?”

 

“Well, I just- I messed up. Who’s to say I’m not going to do it again? I wasn’t being careful and flew right into it. I don’t want to drag the team behind from recklessness.”   
  


“Nonononono, that’s not gonna happen. You’re still training- you’re gonna have a few more bumps and bruises before you’ve got the hang of it enough for us to send you out. We’ll only do so when we are 100% sure you’re ready and you are well on your way down that path.

 

“But-”

 

“Ah-ah. This is a small blip. In a few weeks or so, I have no doubt you’ll be right on track again. Anyways, we all mess up. I have a secret.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“The first time I tried out the blasters, I smacked into a wall and then Dum-E sprayed the fire extinguisher all over me.”

 

You couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped you. “That’s great. Thanks for the blackmail material.”

 

“That’s not- wait, don’t-”

 

You laughed louder at his protests. He gave up, giving you a big smile.

 

“I still make mistakes, you know,” he admits. Then, seemingly to throw you for a loop, “That’s probably why Cap yells at me so much,” launching you into another round of giggles. “But in all seriousness, I get shot out of the sky more often than I’d like to admit.”

 

“Well, next time that happens, I’ll have to make sure I’m there to return the favor.”

 

“You better be.” A soft smile. “I’d really appreciate that.” A soft smile back. 


End file.
